


The Swing

by almondchocolate



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Absent Parents, Angst, Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:02:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26163829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/almondchocolate/pseuds/almondchocolate
Summary: Lila's first memory was when she was five years old.Her mother had promised to get her. Her mother wouldn't lie.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	The Swing

Lila’s first memory was when she was five years old. She had come back from a long day at kindergarten, walking the 3 mile journey by herself (as usual), and had come home to a scene a little girl should never have to see. Her mother and father were standing in the kitchen, yelling at each other. She couldn’t understand what they were fighting about, but she could tell it was bad. Her mom’s fists were clenched together and her face was becoming red with fury. She looked as if at any moment she may start violently attacking her husband. Her father didn’t look much better.

Lila shut the door and threw her backpack on the ground, running towards her mom. “Mama, I’m home!” She exclaimed, hoping to distract her.

Her mother paused from her shouting match and took a deep breath, looking at Lila. “Hi, Lila. Sweetie, why don’t you go outside and play on the swing until mommy comes for you, okay?” Lila nodded and ran outside, vaguely aware of the adults following her with their gaze.

She sat on the swing in their small backyard, her small body being rocked by the breeze. She could still hear shouting inside, then a loud slamming of the door accompanied by profanity she couldn’t understand. She wondered for a moment if she should go back inside, but ignored it. She trusted her mommy.

Lila sat on that swing for hours, watching as the clouds moved above her, as they caught hints of orange and red as the sun set. Lila knew that she had homework to do, but mommy had said to wait outside, so she did. As she waited she told herself stories; pretending that she was friends with a prince, that she was a hero who saved helpless kitties, that there were people who designed pretty outfits and wrote songs just for her. The stories relaxed her. They made her feel a little less lonely on the swing.

She watched the sunset and the moon rise. She watched as each star slowly twinkled into view. She ignored the pangs of hunger and thirst, as well as the shivers that racked her small frame. 

Her mother had told her to wait outside.

Her mother had promised to get her. 

Her mother wouldn’t lie.

She had sat on that swing for seven hours before she finally allowed herself to wonder if her mother forgot about her. Hesitantly, she walked back into the house and found her mother sleeping on the couch. If she had closely examined the room, she would’ve noticed that all of her father’s stuff was missing.

Not knowing what to make of the situation, Lila quietly went to her room and got dressed in her pajamas, then climbed into bed, deciding to skip brushing her teeth tonight.

As she drifted off to sleep she whispered “Things will be okay.” 

That was the first lie she ever told.

**Author's Note:**

> Lila's behaviour and her desperate need for attention and love makes me really think that she's severely neglected at home, and has been for a while. Anyways,
> 
> Thanks for reading:)


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